Chapter 123 Swimwear

With the anchor dropped, the ship gradually came to a stop. This was a near-sea area, about a hundred nautical miles from the coast, roughly more than two hundred kilometers.

This area was called Shark Sea because it was home to various kinds of shark-like magical beasts. The reason so many sharks gathered here was because of the abundant marine resources, with plenty of sea creatures.

Field needed to find the Blade Fin Shark, another hunting task, the Electric Jellyfish, and underwater materials—the Red-Blue Starfish—all of which could be found in this area.

Therefore, many fishermen from Haidu also came here to fish. Just like now, Field could see several fishing boats several miles away. They were smaller than crab-catching boats and had the emblem of Haidu on their flags, indicating that these boats came from Haidu.

Since the seafood here was abundant and there was no need to compete, everyone minded their own business and didn't disturb each other.

"Alright, let's get ready to go into the water. Don't you girls need to change into swimsuits?" Field grinned.

Hilda's face immediately flushed slightly. Obviously, it was her first time wearing a swimsuit in front of a man, and she felt a bit shy. But this man was Field, her good friend, so she didn't hesitate and nodded, taking Qiqi to the cabin to change into their swimsuits.

Field didn't need to go through all that trouble. With a flip of his clothes and a toss of his pants, he was left with a pair of custom-made shorts fluttering in the wind. Then he lit a cigarette and waited.

Twenty minutes later, Field silently watched as he finished his third cigarette, lost in thought. Did it really take this long to change into a swimsuit? What were these two girls doing?

Just as he was about to pick up the fourth cigarette to light it, the cabin door opened, and a petite figure bounced out.

"Field, how do I look, meow?" Qiqi looked at Field expectantly.

Field's eyes lit up as he looked at Qiqi in front of him.

Qiqi's swimsuit was a blue one-piece style, with small skirts on both sides. Her chubby legs were completely exposed, and her furry cat ears shook on top of her head while her fluffy cat tail swayed behind her.

"It looks great, very cute~" Field nodded with a smile, and Qiqi also sweetly smiled, then looked towards the cabin.

Field also felt a bit itchy.

Qiqi looked cute in her swimsuit. But what about Hilda?

The next moment, a golden figure walked out of the cabin.

At that moment, Field's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, and even the cigarette in his mouth fell to the ground unnoticed.

Golden sunlight cascaded down, illuminating the golden waves of long hair, as if competing with the deep blue ocean for beauty. The white and gold skirt-style swimsuit fluttered in the wind, emitting a faint glow, vaguely reflecting the golden beauty of Hilda's perfectly wrapped figure under the tight lining.

She raised her hand, and her skin, framed by the white and gold skirt-style swimsuit, appeared even more delicate. With her long hair tied up, her eyebrows curved, and a slight blush on her cheeks, she still confidently lifted her chin, revealing her fair neck and perfect collarbone.

"How do I look, is it pretty?" She asked with a smile.

Field gradually came back to his senses, and flames seemed to ignite in his eyes.

Pretty? Pretty wasn't enough to describe it! But he couldn't just praise her directly; he had to do the opposite.

So Field picked up the cigarette from the ground and pretended to contemplate for a moment before saying, "Not good-looking."

As expected, Hilda's cheeks puffed up immediately.

"What, you must be doing it on purpose!" Hilda stomped her foot. "Let me ask you again, answer me in two words!"

Field nodded as if indulging her. "Okay okay."

Hilda asked, "How do I look, is it pretty?"

Field replied, "Not good-looking."

Hilda: "..."

Seeing Hilda glaring at him, Field finally chuckled. "Okay okay, to tell you the truth, it's extremely beautiful!"

"Hmph, you have good taste." Hilda finally smiled satisfied.

But then she tugged at her swimsuit and said, "But it feels a bit small."

"Not small," Field glanced at her chest. "Feels a bit tight."

"Tight is good," Field said with a smile. "Good swimsuits are supposed to be tight. This way, they can reduce resistance underwater and make you more agile."

In fact, it's because they're tight that they look more appealing! 

"Well, it seems like I made the right choice." Hilda smiled.

She didn't doubt Field's words at all. She thought Field knew a lot and completely shattered her stereotype of mercenaries. If every mercenary could be like Field, or at least have some of his qualities, she felt that the mercenary profession would definitely shine.

Of course, that was impossible. Just as her pride as a Swordmaiden was unique, Field was also one of a kind.

"But are you going to swim like this? Don't you need other equipment?" Hilda looked at Field, who was only wearing shorts, and asked.

She had seen Field's figure once before, but last time it was due to wounds and she was distracted.

But this time was different.

With Field wearing only shorts, his muscles were perfectly displayed. Each muscle seemed to have been carefully sculpted by a divine hand, presenting a sturdy and sleek line, yet not making him look bulky, but rather well-proportioned.

Especially his steel-like chest muscles and symmetrical abdominal muscles, as well as the faint scars on his skin, perfectly embodying what a real man should be, made Hilda's cheeks feel a bit hot.

It was her first time feeling like this, so her eyes were a bit unfocused. She wanted to look but felt embarrassed to stare directly.

This gave Field a great opportunity—this guy didn't understand what restraint was.

"No need, my big shorts are multi-functional, they can be used as swimsuits." Field said as he glanced around.

Damn, I want to look! 

While Hilda's attention was unfocused, Field took the chance to look at her all over.

No matter how you looked at it, she was beautiful, flawless, with no imperfections. Her body proportions were just too good.

Even though this swimsuit didn't reveal much, and even half of her thighs were covered by the thin skirt, Field felt his breath getting a bit hot.

No, I can't go on like this, the big guy is about to rise, and now he's just wearing shorts, which can't cover it up. 

So Field didn't care about the cigarette in his mouth anymore. He simply leaped into the sea with a splash.

Hilda was startled and quickly came to the edge of the deck to look down, only to see the vast sea without Field's figure.

Hilda felt a bit worried and called out, "Field? Field?"

The next moment, water splashed up ten meters high, directly soaking Hilda.

After the water splashed down, Hilda looked towards the sea and saw Field with a smirk. "How's that

, cool enough?"

"You, Field, I was worried about you!" Hilda's cheeks puffed up slightly, but there was no anger in her eyes, only a bit of excitement.

So she also leaped into the sea.

Hilda's entry into the water was very elegant and agile, with small splashes. If Field's entry was like a cannonball hitting the water, then she was like a drop of water dripping into it.

But once she went underwater, she disappeared.

Field was a bit puzzled. Did she sink?

But the next moment, the surrounding seawater lit up with blue light, and Hilda emerged from the water, surrounding herself with water and directly hitting Field in the face with a water bubble filled with water.

"Hahaha!" Hilda laughed triumphantly.

As a Swordmaiden, she naturally knew common water magic.

"You're declaring war on me." Field shook off the water and grinned.

"Hmph, afraid of you?" Hilda raised her chin and then shouted to Qiqi on the deck, "Qiqi, come down, let's team up and fight against the despicable Field!"

Qiqi had long been unable to resist the urge to play and jumped down.

Qiqi could swim, but she was just average at it, and her swimming style was doggy paddle, cute and funny, which made Field laugh.

But with a wave of Hilda's hand, the surrounding seawater was under her control, lifting Qiqi to make her swim faster.

And around Hilda, there were also more than a dozen water bubbles, eagerly watching Field.

Field's eyes widened. "No way, using magic, that's cheating!"

"There's no rule saying you can't use magic," Hilda said mischievously, then waved her hand. "Haha, take this!"

"Hey, I'll dodge, can't hit me, can't hit...hup!" Before he could finish his words, Field was hit squarely by a water bubble and spat out a mouthful of water.

"Hahaha!"

"Hilda, wait for me, see how I'll teach you!" Field also grinned and transformed into a little white dragon in the waves, swimming towards Hilda and Kiki.

For a while, laughter echoed on the sea surface by the ship.

In the distance, a large ship flying a black flag with a skull was sailing towards this area.

The water battle ultimately ended with Field's "victorious" conclusion. Hilda, who could use magic, was a bit of a rule-breaker. Although she wasn't a water mage, her proficiency in the universal water control spell allowed her to maneuver herself and Kiki underwater with exceptional agility, surpassing even fish.

Despite Field's speed, he couldn't catch up and could only be continuously hit in the face by water bubbles, unable to get close.

So how did he win in the end? It was all thanks to Qiqi!

Field uttered a single command: "Qiqi, grab her!"

Qiqi promptly betrayed Hilda on the spot, transforming directly into an octo-meow and tightly embracing Hilda, even wrapping her tail around Hilda's waist.

Hilda was both annoyed and amused. "We agreed to team up, why are you joining the enemy?"

With the help of the little undercover agent Qiqi, Field successfully captured Hilda, splashing water on her face up close and forcing her to surrender.

"Hehe~" Field smirked triumphantly.

Hilda rubbed Kiki's cheek and said, "Qiqi, how could you do this? We're supposed to be teammates."

Qiqi innocently replied, "But Field told me to grab you, meow."

Hilda sighed. Alright, Kiki always listened to Field.

After a playful moment, Hilda's face flushed with excitement as she said, "Alright, let's get back to business."

Field nodded and said, "Qiqi, since you're not the best swimmer, come up on my back."

"Okay, meow!" Qiqi nodded eagerly and climbed onto Field's back, hugging his neck and flashing a big smile.

Her tail also wrapped around Field's waist.

Hilda didn't object to this arrangement. She felt it was safer for Qiqi to be close to Field, so she didn't mind at all.

"I can't speak underwater, do you have magic for underwater communication?" Field asked Hilda.

"Yes," Hilda nodded, then waved her hand. Instantly, bubbles appeared above Field and Qiqi's heads.

"Air Bubble Spell. This way, you can speak and breathe underwater. However, the sound can't travel too far. As for me, I'll use magic to communicate telepathically," Hilda explained.

"Good, let's dive then," Field nodded, and with Kiki on his back, he dove underwater, followed closely by Hilda.

The underwater world was vibrant and colorful.

Hilda admired the colorful coral reefs and diverse schools of fish, her face filled with delight.

"So beautiful!" she telepathically exclaimed.

Field chuckled, "Don't get too distracted by the scenery, keep an eye out for our targets: the Blade Fin Shark, Electric Jellyfish, and Red-Blue Starfish."

"And don't stray too far from me."

"I got it," Hilda nodded, swimming closer to Field. Their distance was less than two meters.

Even underwater, Hilda could see the contraction of Field's muscles as he swam.

Those muscles were like a work of art, perfectly sculpted, and Hilda couldn't help but admire them while enjoying the underwater scenery.

But soon she snapped out of it, patting her cheeks and focusing on finding the targets.

"Is that the Red-Blue Starfish, meow?" Suddenly, Qiqi on Field's back pointed to a spot not far away.

Field looked over and indeed saw a red-blue starfish resting on a coral reef.

This starfish had a diameter of over two meters, with a glass-like organ in the center. It wasn't an eye but the weapon of the Red-Blue Starfish.

It could manipulate the surrounding water currents, unleashing powerful high-pressure water jets.

"Well done, Qiqi," Field said with a smile, and Kiki giggled, rubbing her head against Field's hair.

Then Field and Hilda swam towards the Red-Blue Starfish.

Sensing danger, the Red-Blue Starfish lit up with a blue light, and the surrounding water currents surged rapidly.

But the next moment, Hilda raised her hand, and a golden magic array appeared in front of her. Then dozens of golden swords shot out, directly shattering the glass organ of the Red-Blue Starfish.

"Done!" Hilda telepathically said with a smirk.

Field gave her a thumbs up. "You're amazing!"

With its weapon destroyed, the Red-Blue Starfish could only flee, its five fleshy feet flailing as it left the coral reef, not slow at all—don't underestimate starfish.

But this speed still couldn't match Field's.

Soon, Field caught up to it, plunging his hand into the starfish's center and forcefully pulling out its crystal core.

Without its core, the Red-Blue Starfish lost its vitality and softened.

Field didn't just want the core; he also wanted the materials from the starfish's body.

After storing the starfish's body in his storage ring, he continued to search for the next target.